Windmill.



Patented May 8, I900. 0. B. LOBDELL.

WI N D M L L.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 189 9.)

(No Model.)

frat Ge flack /us life/n9 No. 648,968. Patented May 8, I900. C. R.LOBDELL.

WINDMILL.

'Apfilication filed Jan. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 2.

Charles Elohiell Y: Noam: PETERS co PHo'ro-u'mo, WASHINGTON. v.1".

Patented May 8, I900.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Ira! Gel-lack,

has Jl war/Leg c.. B. LOTBDELL.

WIN DM LL.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

In: mums PETERS 0a.. Wourum wAsumcmu. n. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. LOBDELL, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

WIFNDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,968, dated May 8,1900.

Application filedJ'anuary 13, 1899. $erial No. 702,022. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known thatI, OHARLEsR. LOBDELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waukegan, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to that class of windmills in which thedrive-wheel is mounted on a revolving frame or turn-table shiftable to aplane parallel and transverse to the wind by suitable controlling-vanes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction whichis simple and in which the angularity of the wheel with respect to thewind is regulated by vanes whichv respond sensitively to the varyingvelocity of the wind, and a further object is to provide a brakemechanism for the wheel which is operated and controlled by the vane.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the upper partof a tower with a windmill embodying the preferred formof the invention.Fig. 2 isa detail view of the wheel hub and brake. Fig. 3 is a view inend elevation, the wheel being shown in section. Fig. 4 is an enlargedplan of the shifter-vane, its shaft, and the bracket wherein the wheeland controlling mechanism are mounted. Fig. 5 is a detail side view ofthe vane-shaft, the arm whereby it is shifted, and the counterweight forthe vanes. Fig. 6 is a detail end view of vane-shaft and one of itsbearings. Fig. 7 is a detail side view of the bearing in which the innerend of the wheel-shaft is mounted. Fig. Sis a sectional view, upon anenlarged scale, through the tubular standard and supporting-bracket.Fig. 9 is a detail View of the bell-crank lever for shifting thebrake-band. Fig. 10 is a sectional view through the cross-bar Whereonthe vane-shaft is mounted.

A denotes the upper portion of a tower of usual construction, and A aplatform sustained thereby.

B is a tubular standard or center post secured in tower A by bars b andis provided d, which rests upon the balls b in collar b of I the centerpost. Adjacent the edge cl sleeve D is provided with a collar d, havinga depending fiange d to prevent the entry of dust to the bearing-balls.Supporting-frame 0 comprises a central portion or hub c, in which thesleeve D is secured, an arm 0, extended laterally to form a journal 0for the drivewheel shaft,- and an oppositely-extended arm 0 forsupporting an auxiliary vane. A journal-bracket E is secured upon arm 0of the revoluble supporting-frame O. Rods c and a may be used to furthersecure sleeve D and arms 0 and C of the frame together. In

journal 0 on arm Cand journal-bracket E is .mounted a shaft F, to theouter end of which a drive-wheel GIS secured. The drive-wheel Gcomprises a hub g, having radial lugs g, in which a series of spokes gare secured. Annular bands g and g of angle-iron are socured to spokes gand these bands serve to sustain a series of sails 9 which are securedthereto by metal straps g. A disk g secured to the outer terminal ofwheel-shaft F, and braces 9 secured to said disk and band 9 rigidify thewheel against axial strains.

Arm 0 of the supporting-frame is provided with lugs 0 upon which isbolted a bolster or cross-bar H, preferably of wood, which serves tosustain a rocking shifter-vane I. Upon cross bar II are securedbearing-blocks h, having curved seats in which is mounted a shaft 6,whereto the shifter-vane I is socured. Straps h are extended over shaft11 and secured by bolts h to cross-bar H and serve to retain the shaftwithin the curved seats of bearing-blocks h. ,Shaft i is preferablyformed of a tube-section slitted centrally at its projecting end toreceive vane I,"

which projects beyond the sails of the drive wheel.

Vane I may be tilted about its shaft,

ed to a horizontal position to cause the drivewheel to assume a positionwith its face toward the wind. At intermediate positions theshifter-vane causes the drive-wheel to assume a correspondingintermediate position.

The end of arm C of the supporting-frame is bifurcated, as at 0 toreceive a pivot-bolt 7c of a vibratory arm k, to which an auxiliary vaneK is secured. Arm k is extended upwardly from its pivot and has securedthereto the auxiliary vane K at its upper end and is arranged with itsface approximately parallel with the face of the drive-wheel. Near itsmid-length vane-arm 70 has pivoted thereto a pitman L, the other end ofwhich is pivotally connected with a crank-arm M, secured to the shaft 11of the shifter-vane. Crank-arm M is preferably secured to shaft by astrap m, which passes around shaftvl and is clamped thereto by bolts mpassing through the strap and crank-arm. Bolts m also pass through andsecure a weight-arm N, having a counterweight 7?, adj ustably securedthereto. Auxiliary vane K serves to control and shift the shifter-vaneI. Counterweight n serves to hold the auxiliary vane normally inposition to retain the shifter-vane in position to cause the drive-wheelto assume a position toward the wind. A cable k secured to vane-arm k atK", permits the auxiliary vane to be manually shifted. Cable I0 extendsover a sheave is, mounted in an arm e, projected from the cap 6 ofbearing 6 in bracket E,

thence around a sheave c mounted in lugs e on arm 0 of thesupporting-frame, and thence over a sheave e mounted in lugs e of thejournal-bracket E, and through center post B to the base ofthe tower.

Vane-arm 7c is projected below its pivot, as at it, and has an eyebolt kadj ustably secured therein, as by nuts k and It". The

drive-wheel is provided with a brake-wheel preferably formed integralwith hub g. A brake-band O has one of its terminals secured to an arm 0,which projects from arm C of the supporting-frame and is rigidly securedthereto. The other terminal of band 0 is secured to the short arm 1) ofa bellcrank lever P, which is pivotally secured to arm 0 of thesupporting-frame by a bolt 19'. A rod Q connects eyebolt 7:; and longarm 19 of the bell-crank lever P.

Journal-bracket E is formed with a horizontal arm c which is providedwith a journal-bearing e wherein is mounted the upper end of a verticalshaft R, which passes through the center post and serves to transmitpower to the lower portion of the tower, as well understood in the art.A beveled gear-wheel S, secured to shaft F of the drivewheel, engages abeveled gear-wheel 'r on vertical shaft R and imparts revolution to thevertical shaft when the wheel is driven. In operation when the Velocityof the wind increases the pressure against the auxiliary vane K causesthe auxiliary vane to overcome the counterweight n and by pitman Lshifts the crank-arm M,which rocks the shaft 2', and thus effects acorresponding shift of the shifter-vane I, which in turn causes thedrive-wheel to assume a position oblique .to the wind. Thus it will beseen that the drive-wheel responds sensitively to the varying pressureon the auxiliary vane. If the velocity of the wind becomes too high, theauxiliary vane receiving a corresponding pressure shifts by pitman L,crank-arm M, and shaft 7; the shifter-vane Ito its vertical position,when the drive-Wheel will swing to a position parallel to the wind andthe vanearm k simultaneously, by eyebolt k connecting-rod Q, andbell-crank lever P, draws the band 0 against brake-wheel of thedrive-wheel hub g and stops the further revolution of the drive-wheel.hen the auxil iary vane is manually shifted by cable or wire to swingthe drivewheel out of action, the brake-band O is drawn against thebrakewheel. Thus it will be seen that whenever the windmill is out ofaction the brake will be set andprevent the revolution of thedrive-wheel. hen the velocity of wind decreases, the counterweight n onarm N causes the vane-shaft i, shifter-vane I, and auxiliary vane K toreturn to normal position with the drive-wheel transverse to the wind.It will be observed that the weight-arm N is vertical when the auxiliaryvane is in normal position. Such arrangement is advantageous because theforce is differentially applied to vary correspondingly with thepressure against the auxiliary vane by the wind, so that when the millis driven by a light wind the weight is applied to offer littleresistance to the auxiliary vane, and thus permits the vane to respondsensitively to the varying velocity of even light winds.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the drive-wheel revolves inthe direction of the arrow and that the brake-band is arranged to bedrawn from the fixed arm a by the brake-wheel, thus causing the bandwhen brought in contact with the brake-wheel to be drawn tightly againstthe brake-wheel. Eyebolt k in the lower end of-the vane-arm, byadjustment of nuts k and 70 may be set to operate the brake at theproper moment. Such adjustment permits the brake mechanism to beoperated by the vane at such velocity of the wind as maybe regarded asthe maximum. i

It will be understood that theworking angle of the controlling-vane Kand its arm 70 may be varied by the adjustment of crankarm M uponshaftt' of the shifter-vane I. Thus, for example, if it is desired tohave the controlling-vane K work more nearly in a vertieal plane thanthat shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings it may be shifted accordingly byloosening or withdrawing bolts m of the crank-arm, which will cansethe'strip m to loosen its hold around shaft z', and thus permit crank-arm mto be adjusted on the Vancshaft i. It will also be observed that whenIIO such adjustment has been effected the brake mechanism may be causedto operate the brake at the proper moment by a shift of nuts 75* and 70along eyebolt k Manifestly the details of construction may be varied bythe skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I-Iavin g thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In a windmill the combination with arevoluble su pporting-frame,a shaft and wheel mounted thereon, of arocking shifter-Vane and shaft 1' for said vane, a cross-bar secured tolugs projecting from said supporting-frame, bearing-blocks on saidcross-barin which said shaftt' is mounted, a crank-arm adjustablysecured to said vane-shaft, a vane-arm 7a pivotally mounted in thebifurcated end of an arm 0 of the supporting-frame and a pitmanconnecting said vane-arm and said crank-arm:

2. In a windmill the combination with a revoluble supporting-framecomprising laterally-projecting arms 0' and G a vertical sleeve Dsecured thereto and having a collar (1 at its lower end, a center post Bwithin said sleeve, a collar b, rollers or balls b a shaft and wheelmounted on said supportingframe, a rocking shifter-vane, a shaftt' forsaid vane, a cross-bar secured to lugs projecting from saidsupporting-frame, bearingblocks on said cross-bar in which said shaft '5is mounted, a crank-arm ad justably secured to said vane-shaft, avane-arm 7t pivotally mounted in the bifurcated end of an arm 0 of thesupporting-frame and a pitman connecting said vane-arm and saidcrankarm.

3. In a windmill the combination with a revoluble supporting-framehaving laterally- 'projeoting arms 0 and O and a shaft and wheel mountedthereon, of a shifter-vane I,

a shaft 6, bearing-blocks on said shaft 2' mounted upon a cross-barsecured to lugs projecting from the supporting-frame, of a Vanearm 70pivotally mounted in the bifurcated end of arm 0 av'ane K secured tosaid arm at its upper end, a crank-arm m secured to shaft 1', a pitmanconnecting said vane-arm and said crank-arm, said vane-arm K beingextended below its pivot, a brake mechanism for said Wheel, comprising aband and bellcrank lever pivoted to said supporting-frame and having ashort arm for operating said band and having its other arm connected tothe lower end of said vane-arm by a rod Q.

at. In a windmill the combination with a revoluble supporting-framehaving laterallyprojecting arms 0 and C and a shaft and wheel mountedthereon, of a shifter-vane I, a shaft-i, bearing-blocks on said shaft 2'mounted upon a cross-bar secured to lugs projectin g from thesupporting-frame, of a vane-arm 7tpivotally mounted in the bifurcatedend of arm 0 a vane K secured to said arm at its upper end, a crank-armm secured to shaft 2, a pitman connecting said vane-arm and saidcrank-arm, said vane-arm K being extended CHARLES R. IlOBDELL.

Witnesses:

FRED GERLAOH, ALBERTA ADAMICK.

